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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bass — low music
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. hand — help
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pop — to visit
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pop — music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. tube — a container
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com